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Rey Bulay (Photo Credit: abogado.com.ph)
MANILA – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has delayed the implementation of the rules regulating poll surveys for the May 2025 National and Local Elections (NLE).
Commissioner Rey Bulay said they have not yet implemented Comelec Resolution No. 11117, as they would like to study and possibly include the recommendations of stakeholders.
Resolution No. 11117 was issued last week and it required all survey firms to get registered as well as submit comprehensive reports of all its would-be election surveys.
“We withheld its implementation. We passed it but subject to amendments that will come from the inputs we gathered today,” he said in an interview after the meeting with several survey firms on Thursday.
“The Resolution is an expression of the sentiments of the Commission with regards to survey firms. Our sentiments will then be tapered by the inputs of the survey firms,” he said.
During the meeting, survey companies raised concerns on different provisions on the guidelines, including the pre-registration being a mandatory requirement and the extent of the mandatory reports to be required from them.
They also pushed for the removal of the liability, ranging from fines to suspension to legal action due to non-compliance.
The Commissioner-in-Charge of the Comelec Task Force on the Regulation and Enforcement of Survey Practices for Election Credibility and Transparency (RESPECT) assured that these ideas will be considered.
“All their inputs are acceptable. We wouldn’t have it any other way except to have their cooperation,” Bulay said.
“God willing, after two more weeks, we may be able to complete this. We can issue supplemental (resolution) to the existing one and is more doable,” he added.
Present during the dialogue are officials and representatives of Pulse Asia Research, Publicus Asia, Ibon Foundation, Social Weather Station, OCTA Research, and Tangere/Acquisition Apps, among others.
Meanwhile, the Comelec reported that senatorial candidates and party-list organizations have voluntarily taken down their illegal campaign materials in response to notices sent by the poll body.
Poll body Chairperson George Garcia said they have received reports that candidates in the May NLE 2025 have complied with the order to immediately take down violative campaign materials.
“In all fairness to the candidates, once they receive our notices, they remove their illegal campaign materials,” he said.
Garcia cited as an example the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), wherein all senatorial bets have been issued notices.
“We were told by our Cordillera personnel that they issued notices to all senatorial candidates… Now, the area is clear for these campaign materials,” he said.
Earlier, the Commissioner warned that failure to remove illegal campaign materials may result in the filing of election offense and disqualification cases against the candidates. — Ferdinand Patinio (PNA)
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Credit belongs to: www.pna.gov.ph
